108th Elementary School of Athens

Thomas Economacos with the children of the 108th Elementary School of Athens at the Kids’ Guernica exhibition opening at Zappeion, Oct. 18, 2007 in conjunction with the ECCM Symposium ‘Productivity of Culture’.

Photo by Kostas Kartelias

Mural of the 108th Municipal School of Athens 2007

The mural was created especially for the Kids’ Guernica exhibition held at the Zappeion, Athens in conjunction with the ECCM Symposium “Productivity of Culture”, October 18 - 21, 2010 and organised by Poiein kai Prattein. See (www.productivityofculture.org)

Children of the school became involved in a painting process which was facilitated by Thomas Economacos, arts coordinator of Poiein kai Prattein.

The setting of the school and its neighborhood plays a role in the making of this painting. For children grow more often up in crowded surroundings. Consequently their minds are clogged with all sorts of things. They can even come to believe they are themselves a part of this junk world with easily disposible objects once consumed.

Neighborhood of school: typical housing in that part of Athens

View of the 108 Elementary School of Athens and its court yard

108 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF ATHENS

CLASS Ε1

1.

Ali Pamela

Teacher:

George Michalopoulos

2.

Ardiol Luka

3.

Assenova Camelia

4.

Vassilopoulos Akis

5.

Voglis Marios

6.

Getsi Steven

7.

Ivanova Theodora

8.

Kiorai Entri

9.

Konomi Elena

10.

Konomi John

11.

Mangou Effie

12.

Mertiri Elena

13.

Mouskas Orestis

14.

Bissara Katerina

15.

Bobeika Adrian

16.

Pappa Vassiliki

17.

Rashid Roman

18.

Roussiti Christina

CLASS Ε2

1.

Vessai Piro

Teacher:

Vassiliki Gavriilidou

2.

Villios Andreas

3.

Georgadellos Thanos

4.

Koroudi Agelos

5.

Douri Polichronis

6.

Papas Agelos

7.

Vassilopoulou Katerina

8.

Theodoropoulou Ioanna

9.

Kleftoyanni Giota

10.

Kolokouri Eleni

11.

Kirli Fei

12.

Metjo Maria

13.

Mitopoulou Mirto

14.

Pattakou Athina

15.

Karavokiri Despina

16.

Gevorgian Diana

17.

Deliou Maria

18.

Vogli Ioanna

19.

Atanasoaie Victor

We are particularly thankful to the primary school teacher Mr. Ioannis Fotinos

According to Thomas Economacos, a first design of the peace mural was produced after children had made sketches on their own, at home or while in class, as to what made up their world.

They were then asked to ‘clean up’ their sketches. This prompted a movement towards abstraction, so the interpretation of Hatto Fischer.

By way of illustration as to how the mural came about, following sketch can show how things started to become very interesting.

The drawing reveals a convergence of spheres; equally it can be perceived as a move away from a centre of gravity. The drawing conveys a strong sense of a centrifugal power and makes the movement of spheres all the more interesting.

Such abstract spheres appear like beautiful bodies way out in the universe. They can only be concretized by the stretch of the imagination. It shows that children can go beyond what they see in their immediate surroundings.

The power of abstraction

Such abstraction brings them closer to what scientists and philosophers know about the beauty of truthful relationships between spheres and mathematical figures. It was underlined by Einstein saying, ‘God does not play dice!’

A key aim of this pictorial presentation of knowledge was to approach the mysteries of life and universe openly. It is done best by becoming rational insofar objects are shown by avoiding fluke projections upon the world. Its existence is not only about causal relationships.

Abstraction means exactly to explain the unknown by what can be known and nothing more. This is being rational. It lets the imagination become a torch in an otherwise dark world. Putting light to things is to start making discoveries. It begins by seeing the beauty of the universe. All what it requires is to put this in a frame and give it some reference.

To abstract from the real world around oneself, there has to exist above all trust. Only then it is conceivable to go forward even though there is no certainty. The only possibility to express something is to trust the pencil. A drawing comes about by letting the thoughts and with it the pencil go freely ahead. All impressions created speak for themselves. It does require letting go the hand. Only then can it become a free drawing. In this way the children enter a process of abstraction. A single ball can become an expression of such an abstraction.

From the spheres of abstraction as if in outer space the children return back to earth. Once back they come up with a new concept of the complex world they face daily around them. Only now they face the disorder of the real world with a different attitude due to having gained through the abstraction a calm and peaceful mind.

After that everything became easier. They children could go from the concrete through the abstract to something more conceptual in terms of discovered beauty. It includes a lovely face now perceived differently since the resemblance to those abstract spheres is known.

Hatto Fischer

Athens 2007

The children incorporated wonderful details into their mural. The little designs they noticed before were transferred onto the huge canvas after they had found through the abstraction a power to order things. They found a free expression in accordance to their own imagination of a beautiful life. Literally they spilled this wonder out onto the huge canvas to show another order in a disorder.They could do so after they had discovered the power of abstraction as a liberation from a world which usually clogs up their minds.

And during the opening of the Kids' Guernica Exhibition in conjunction with the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture', they put finishing touches on the canvas.

Thomas Economacos

This painting action by 40 children from the 108 Elementary School of the Municipality of Athens (2007) was co-ordinated by Thomas Economacos, Arts Co-ordinator of Poiein Kai Prattein (www.poieinkaiprattein.org/kids-guernica)

Thomas Economacos

CV

He was born in Athens. He has attended drawing lessons at the Architecture Association of London and a sculpture course at Richmond College. He has continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (tech workshop for theatre design). In 1996 he graduated from Wimbledon School of Art (BA Honors) in theatre design. He has also attended thanks to the ERASMUS program a course on lighting and sound design at the Finnish Theatre Academy (Tampere). Since then he has designed sets, costumes and lighting for theatre and dance schools in Athens and elsewhere in Great Britain, Finland, Cyprus and throughout Greece. He teaches theatre design and lighting at the stage school for Dance and Drama in Athens. He is an ex-member of British theatre designers (1998 - 2001) and a member of the the Greek Chamber of Plastic Art. Since 2005 he is the arts coordinator for Poiein kai Prattein and in this capacity has been a facilitator for numerous painting actions and exhibitions been doing Kids' Guernica actions in Ubud (Bali) , Kastelli (Crete), Chios (Greece) and Izmir (Turkey) as well as in Athens. He has also advised Bernard Conlon in Belfast on this action and attended the Kids' Guernica exhibition and symposium on art education and social justice held in Tallahassee, Florida, USA in January 2010.